Knock Knock…Who’s There?
Well, we all know the answer to that:
Oh yes, “Johnnie” is there – aka “Ax Jack” – and he is ready to celebrate my “Horror A – Z” series with films with the letters “S – T – U”…and we begin with one of cinema’s greatest horror films seen through the lens of one of the world’s greatest Directors of all time:
“Some places are like people: some shine and some don’t.”
The plot of “The Shining” is simple: A man, his son and wife become the winter caretakers of an isolated hotel high in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Six months of quiet desolation, a place for son Danny to explore at will…
Unfortunately, little Danny sees disturbing visions of the hotel’s past – using a telepathic gift known as “The Shining”. Example? How about the twins he sees in the hallway…
And then of course, Danny sees more…as the horrific images continue…and there is no one to confide in…
The father, played with intense glee by Jack Nicholson, is working on a writing project when he slowly slips into insanity as a result of cabin fever – oh, and the advice he gets from former Hotel guests. After being convinced by a waiter’s ghost to “correct” the family, Jack goes completely insane.
To announce “The Shining”, Warner Brothers released a teaser trailer that had just one shot – a wide shot of an elevator in a hotel lobby as credits are shown – but stay until the end and you won’t be disappointed:
Stanley Kubrick, known for his compulsiveness and numerous retakes, got the shot of blood pouring from the elevators in only three takes. That said, the shot took nine days to set up; every time the doors opened and the blood poured out, Kubrick would say, “It doesn’t look like blood.”
Kubrick’s horror film has sparked a series of “conspiracy theories” about hidden messages in the film! See the inside story of an incredible documentary that looks into all of them – trailer and more here:
Now, onto the letter “T” – a film that was a box office box when released and is now considered one of the great modern horror films!
“Man Is The Warmest Place To Hide.”
That was the tagline for “The Thing”, a brilliant 1982 film with an incredible cast!
Kurt Russell commands a research station in Antartica – but what he finds can destroy the world! This is a classic, creepy and shocking film – Director John Carpenter is allready on my “li for “Shocktober” – his”Horro A – Z” list for both “Halloween” and “The Fog”, and “The Thing” is one of horror’s greatest achievements as well.
Let’s begin with the trailer for this classic film:
An American Research Base is greeted by an alien force, which is able to assimilate by hiding inside anything it touches.
Yes, this monster hides INSIDE one member of the crew – but who?
Kurt Russell stars along with a number of great character Actors like Wilford Brimlety, Keith David and Richard Dysart. This film reunited Russell with the Director, as he had just done “Escape From New York” with Carpenter.
As it becomes clear that something is very, very wrong – the crew begin to turn on each other, fearful that at any moment someone could end up doing this!
It’s up to the members to stay alive, and uncover who has become “the Thing.” As the great tagline says:
“Man Is The Warmest Place To Hide.”
There are many types of horror – the slow, creeping dread that settles over a film – and those movies that use big shocks and special effects….”The Thing” is a perfect combination of both – unsetttling dread as dark as the Antartic winter, and shocking special effects unlike any seen before – like this scene, where a man’s head becomes a spider!
According to IMDB, John Carpenter said that Wilford Brimley was the only cast member not initially grossed out by the autopsy scene where they used real animal organs!
Brimley had been a real-life cowboy and hunter, so gutting animals and removing organs was a normal experience for him!
This movie is streaming all over your TV, so find it and have a blast!
I have to add a bonus “T” film, because it’s brilliant!
“Train To Busan!”
The greatest Zombie thriller of all time _ I promise! Click to see the trailer and so much more!
Finally, the letter “U” is for a 1998 film that spawned a horror series:
“Urban Legend”
Alicia Witt, Jared Leto and Robert Englund heads the large cast, as the film follows a series of gruesome murders on a college campus that mimic well-known urban legends. It was directed by Jamie Blanks and is considered a classic of the late 90s teen horror genre, and was so successful that it led to a number of sequels.
Here is the very entertaining trailer:
There you go: my “Horror A – Z” series has three great films for you…and here are three more from the list:
I’ve been spending the month of October focused on “Horror A – Z”, which you can always find by going to my main page and hitting the “movies” category…if you missed this one, here’s the “M – N – O” of horror!
And before that, I shared my “J – K – L” list, which was very watery:
This is a great moment from a really terrific shocker…see what it is here!
I love revisiting great horror films with terrific characters like Pennywise:
Oh yes, Pennywise is very scary, and I’ve got some haunted houses for you as well – see them all here!
My “D – E – F” list included what is my favorite shocker of all time:
I mean, need I say more?
See all three great horror film on my list here:
It all started with this – one of cinema’s most shocking and unexpected moments:
Surprise!
See what joined “Alien” on my “A – B – C” list here!
If this makes you hungry, here are some wild Halloween snacks for you to make – using a Sea Cucumber!
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Categories: Action Films, Art, Cult Movies, Film Fight Club, Great Films, Halloween, Horror films, Movies, Pop Culture, True Hollywood Mystery
johnrieber 
I am too creeped out to watch this movie, which says it is a great, creepy movie.
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I loved the shining and the twins freaked me out the most. I haven’t seen train to Busan but now I intend to!
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*Smile* Have actually seen the first two but my memory doors refuse to open . . . for a reason I daresay . . . interesting reading tho’ . . .
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‘Train To Busan’ is still my favourite zombie film. Never bettered by anything I have seen before or since in that genre. As for ‘The Thing’, (and for ‘Alien’ too) you know the online debate, I’m sure. Is it Horror, or Sci-fi? I stick firmly to science fiction for the genre of the film, but many scenes are also genuinely horrifying.
Best wishes, Pete.
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The Shining was good but The Thing got my attention……one of the few remakes that was better than the original;…..chuq
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Interesting point: I use the “does it NEED a remake?” test and this one made the case that it didn’t take away from the original, just offered a new take on it…so many remakes trample on the memory of the film they are re-doing…thanks for the note!
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I agree….one of the worse remakes was The Manchurian Candidate’……chuq
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Ouch! It sure was! Also “The Taking Of Pelham 1-2-3”
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Agreed! chuq
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